What Climate Change Could Do to the Earth in 50 Years

Photo: Tomas Castelazo

Can you imagine yourself sitting on a huge pile of garbage, not being able to breathe? Sea and rivers have disappeared, leaving behind small creeks of smelly water. You need fresh air, but will get the thick dusty one, clogging your windpipe. Lush trees, fascinating wildlife and the beauty each season brings would all become mere fairy tales. Yes, it’s a definite possibility and a perfect picture of our Earth after 50 years. Our lifestyle and our ignorance toward Mother Earth could make this happen. Tell me how would you feel then?

Photo: Robert A. Rohde

Don’t you love the planet you are living on? Why is everyone running behind the betterment of the economy? Definitely, the industrialization has contributed a lot to economic growth, but this has also caused a lot of pollution in return. People are just concentrating on the economy while ignoring the environment. This is the very reason for global warming and climate change. It is BADLY affecting the physical, social, economical and ecological growth of the Earth.

As shown in the diagram above, it is clear that risks and impacts of global warming are SEVERE. They are affecting the weather, the change in climatic condition, biochemical cycles, sea-level rise, the biological system and also our social system.

FIRE
Photo: self

WORLD FULL OF GARBAGE
Photo: Cezary p

The sudden change in weather is the main reason for droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes and much more. It’s making it hard for farmers also. For countries, they have been relying on agriculture for their economy, they won’t have enough products to export, therefore their economy will be worsening.

VOLVO - HYBRID BUS
Photo: Volvo Buses

However, it is believed that to protect the Earth and to have a green, clean environment, we have to spend a lot of money. The government is buying new equipment and expensive hybrid buses to save oil in the world and to keep oceans clean.

OCEAN GARBAGE
Photo: Jdj150

Is this sufficient? Why don’t we start with the basic cause of all these? Factories are dumping their waste in rivers and oceans. We need to start from there. Stop them. Tell them to use other options such as installing filter system. Though it’s costly, it is one-time only and much cheaper than cleaning the ocean and rivers repeatedly. We also know that signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have agreed to implement policies designed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to save money and save the Earth.

TREES KILLED BECAUSE OF ACID RAINPhoto: bdk

Keeping the environment clean seems costly at first glance but it will give back to the economy afterward. EPA data shows that “1 million tons of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the air of a polluted city cause an average of 730 hospital visits and over 200,000 lost work days each year and also is a source of ACID-RAIN.” Think of the hospital bills and think of the price companies are paying losing their employes on those days. So, why not spend money on protecting the environment and then benefit from it economically and enjoy a healthy life?

SAVE EARTH - SAVE THE FUTURE
Photo: ToastyKen

So think of it what it would be like on our Earth, after 50 years? The slowing economy and ignoring the environment is not only affecting us, but also future generations. Therefore, make it possible to save the Earth by taking SMART though SMALL actions. As Dr. Rajendra Pachauri has said, “Climate change is for real. We have just a small window of opportunity and it is closing rather rapidly. There is not a moment to lose".

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